Fri, 25 Jan 2013
Three men have admitted conspiracy to defraud Customs and Revenue and been sentenced following a raid on a warehouse unit in Birmingham which was producing counterfeit Vodka.
Michael Woodlock, 52, West Bromwich, was responsible for setting up the unit and was jailed for 12 months.
Gavin Berrow, 42, Brierley Hill was working as a delivery driver and was given a four month sentence, suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work. The same sentence was given to Alex Rollason, 20, Halesowen, who was working as a warehouse man.
The set up was discovered after customs officers raided the factory on 19 July 2011 and found large containers, most containing water, but three containing 96% pure alcohol, a working still and 2,572 70cl bottles labeled ‘Arctic Ice Vodka’. The duty that would have been evaded on this amount of goods is over £17,000.
